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Glancing back at the defensive line defections under Muschamp
Nov. 01, 2019
Another defensive lineman who signed with South Carolina has moved on from the program without playing a single snap for the Gamecocks.
Jaquaze Sorrells, a 2019 signee, announced on Friday that he was committed to TCU. He’s the latest in a growing list of defensive linemen who never panned out for the Gamecocks. However, this situation is a little unique, compared to some of the others. (VIEW ARTICLE) FREE- 247SPORTS

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/ take on the Gamecocks season
South Carolina: The most unpredictable team in the SEC is coached by Will Muschamp. Well, either South Carolina or Mizzou owns that title. I’ll make the case for South Carolina. Coming off consecutive 4th-quarter leads against top 10 teams, the Gamecocks had an ideal start against Tennessee with a long touchdown to Shi Smith on the first play from scrimmage. And then … the wheels came off. Completely. The fact that Muschamp’s team surrendered a 24-0 run against a Vols team that was decimated at quarterback is, um, troubling. I can’t seem to figure out this team, which seems to have an extremely talented defensive line that can push around Georgia, yet it can’t slow anything down in the 2nd half against Tennessee. I give up trying to figure out South Carolina.

Gamecocks report card vs. Volunteers
Oct. 27, 2019
OFFENSE:
The Gamecocks 2nd half fold continued Saturday with Tennessee Volunteers, again they blew a halftime lead in a 41-21 loss. After that performance, it’s time to grade the Gamecocks. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Injury update on two Gamecocks starters who didn’t finish game
Oct. 26, 2019
The Gamecocks team finished its 41-21 loss to Tennessee without a pair of starters. But the good news coach Will Muschamp said neither injury was that serious. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Gamecocks football legacy DB Fabian Goodman to walk-on at South Carolina
Oct. 26, 2019
Fabian Goodman has made up his college decision and stay close to home.
The Hammond defensive back announced Saturday that he will walk-on at South Carolina. Fabain’s father, Andre, had a hall of fame career with Gamecocks before playing in the NFL.
“It means a lot to me to follow in my fathers footsteps and play for the same school he did,” Fabian Goodman said. “ South Carolina has a family environment and they put me in the best position to succeed in the future.”

Gamecocks Head to Rocky Top for Saturday Showdown
Carolina - Tennessee Set for 4 pm Kick Saturday, Oct. 26
QUICKLY: The South Carolina Gamecocks (3-4, 2-3 SEC) are back on the road this week as they travel to Knoxville for an Oct. 26 date with the Tennessee Volunteers (2-5, 1-3 SEC). Game time is set for 4 pm ET at Neyland Stadium (102,455). SEC Network will televise the game with Taylor Zarzour and Matt Stinchcomb in the booth and Alyssa Lang working the sidelines. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Even Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is in Gamecocks’ corner on missed calls vs Florida
Oct. 21, 2019
Atlanta Braves great and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is a Florida guy. But on the topic of some calls in the Gators’ game at South Carolina this weekend, he’s on the Gamecocks’ side.
USC coach Will Muschamp said, “We all saw what happened,” on Sunday, and Jones said he did. (VIEW ARTICLE) THE STATE

Gamecocks talk a big hit in the backfield with the loss of RB Rico Dowdle
Oct. 19, 2019
RB Rico Dowdle fought through traffic on that play, ducking underneath a tackle for an eight-yard gain. He immediately went to the sideline, however, limping and clutching his knee. He was taken to the injury tent on the sideline and emerged with an ice pack on his knee before returning to the locker room. He eventually returned to the sideline before halftime, wearing a brace and not carrying his helmet.
Dowdle had 449 rushing yards on the season on 77 attempts with four touchdowns, all team-leading totals. He has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career and suffered an injury scare late against Kentucky, but his teammates and coaches felt he was having a career year this season, spurred by competition from Clemson transfer Tavien Feaster.
Without Dowdle, the Gamecocks got a one-yard rushing touchdown from senior Mon Denson in the first quarter and a 21-yard score from Feaster in the third. The Gamecocks led 20-17 after three quarters but eventually lost 38-27.
After the game, coach Will Muschamp said he was unsure of the severity of Dowdle’s injury and said he would undergo an MRI on Saturday night.

Gamecocks gets some love in major polls but Georgia tumbles at the same time
Oct. 13, 2019
Gamecock 20-17 double overtime win over No. 3 Georgia turned heads Saturday. So much that on Sunday, those heads turned into votes in the coaches and Associated Press polls ranking the top 25 teams in the country — the Gamecocks earned three points in the coaches poll and four points in the AP poll. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Gamecock kickoff time vs. Florida is on hold
Oct. 07, 2019
CBS has used one of its six-day hold exemptions this week, meaning the network will have until Sunday, after this week’s games have taken place, to decide which game on Oct. 19 it will broadcast in its coveted 3:30 p.m. slot.
The options for South Carolina-Florida are the 3:30 time on CBS, a noon kickoff on ESPN or a 6 p.m. start on ESPN. The other games being considered and placed on hold are LSU-Mississippi State and Kentucky-Georgia.

Gamecocks still tinkering after bye week
Oct. 09, 2019
Muschamp said. “We’ve evaluated some things we need to improve on and I think we made some progress. With that said, you’re always tinkering in terms of doing things differently than you did in the first five ball games.” (VIEW ARTICLE)

Gamecocks vs No. 3 Georgia opening up as 25.5 point dogs
Oct. 06, 2019
And the Gamecocks will start out being picked to be 25.5 point dogs. Since 2015, the largest line in the series since 2015 was UGA by 23 1/2 in 2017. In the past few years, the Gamecocks have been a 26-point ‘dog against Clemson and 26 1/2 against Alabama. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Glance at Gamecock next opponent: the Georgia Bulldogs
Oct. 07, 2019
THE GAME
1. Can the Gamecocks’ secondary crack Jake Fromm? Georgia’s junior quarterback has completed 77.5% of his passes this season, throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions. The common criticism he faces is that he’s more game manager than playmaker, but the numbers are still impressive, and South Carolina’s defensive backs have already been torched once this season by Tua Tagovailoa. Fromm might not be on Tagovailoa’s level, but the sophomore cornerback duo of Israel Mukuamu and Jaycee Horn entered this season with a lot of hype and haven’t quite matched it yet. Exposing Fromm would mark a huge feather in their caps.
2. South Carolina’s run game broke out against Kentucky, with both Tavien Feaster and Rico Dowdle surpassing 100 yards on the night. Georgia has the nation’s fifth-ranked rushing defense, allowing opponents to average just 59.6 yards per game this year. Expecting a repeat performance from the Gamecocks might be too much, but they do need to establish the run at least a little to help out freshman QB Ryan Hilinski.
3. Will Muschamp and Kirby Smart are old friends, dating back to their time as teammates at Georgia and coworkers at Valdosta State. Now they’re on opposite sides of a rivalry, but Smart has had the decided advantage so far — three wins, all by 14 or more points. Last year in particular was embarrassing for Muschamp; the Gamecocks hoped for a competitive game or upset at home, and instead the Bulldogs romped to 41-17 win. If South Carolina can at least keep things respectable this time around, Muschamp’s reputation would certainly benefit.
GEORGIA PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. Junior running back D’Andre Swift boasts freakish speed (4.43 40-yard dash in high school) and agility. He topped 1,000 yards rushing last season and entered this one as a preseason All-American. Through five games, he’s already at 460 yards, averaging seven a touch, with four touchdowns. He’s also caught 10 passes for 147 yards. He’s one of the main reasons Georgia boasts a top-15 rushing attack in the nation.
2. Speaking of reasons Georgia’s ground game is so good, junior left tackle Andrew Thomas anchors the Bulldogs’ vaunted offensive line. That unit has been hit with injuries through the early part of the season, but it’s hardly slowed UGA’s rushing attack, and Fromm has only been sacked once this year, the lowest rate in the country. Unsurprisingly, Thomas is considered one of the top prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft.
3. Senior safety J.R. Reed does it all for the Bulldogs — he’s tied for second on the team in tackles and passes defended, and he has an interception and fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown. A preseason All-SEC honoree, Reed has started in 34 consecutive games for Georgia and helps lead the SEC’s second-best defense by yards and points allowed per game. He’s also a highly regarded NFL Draft prospect.

What QB Ryan Hilinski has shown four starts into his Gamecock career
Oct. 05, 2019
Gamecock QB Ryan Hilinski’s first few weeks as the Gamecocks starter have been, what can you say very eventful. (VIEW ARTICLE)

DL Javon Kinlaw CBS projects him going in first round in NFL draft
Sept. 27, 2019
South Carolina has a little history with NFL first-round draft picks on the defensive line, with Jadeveon Clowney and Melvin Ingram both finding their way into that spot.
If Javon Kinlaw the next on that list?
CBS’s latest mock draft had Kinlaw going No. 31 to the Kansas City Chiefs. The 6-foot-6, 310 pounder has been delivering on his explosive potential this season and is tied for the SEC lead with four sacks.

Donell Stanley seen it all, now ready to beat Kentucky before he moves on
Sept. 27, 2019
Donell Stanley has been with the Gamecock longer than just about anyone currently with the program. But not even he was there the last time the Gamecocks were able to beat Kentucky on the gridiron. Stanley now is a sixth-year senior on the offensive line, Stanley arrived on campus in 2014 — that also happened to be the first year of five consecutive defeats Carolina has suffered to UK. (VIEW ARTICLE)

Gamecocks players wishing Jamyest Williams well
Sept. 24, 2019
Many of South Carolina’s football players said they’d not yet had a chance to talk to Jamyest Williams after he put his name in the transfer portal. Some saw it when news broke Monday night. Others found out Tuesday morning as it became official. But none said they held anything against him for it.
“I just wished him the best,” Horn said. “We didn’t get too deep into it. He’s a grown man. He can make his own decision. So I just hope he plays good wherever he goes.”
Wide receiver Bryan Edwards added: “I mean, It’s tough. I wish him the best way, but it’s tough.” Williams had started the first three games of South Carolina’s season. He had some struggles at points and saw his snaps go down the past two games.
The former four-star recruit was the gem of Will Muschamp’s first full recruiting class. The No. 76 player in the country plucked from Georgia’s back yard.
“I plan on talking to him,” linebacker Ernest Jones said. “To see where see his head’s at, and just how he’s doing personally, because he’s still he’s still a friend of ours. And he made a decision for himself to better himself.”

Can the Gamecocks take any encouragement with a 24 point loss to Alabama?
Sept. 15, 2019
Carolina was a 26-point underdog Saturday. In the end, the Gamecocks covered the spread, but lost to the No. 2 Tide, 47-23. They became Alabama’s 25th straight SEC East victim. So are you allowed to be encouraged by a lopsided loss to a giant? (VIEW ARTICLE)

The other side: What Bama said about USC, Hilinski
Sept. 15, 2019
The numbers aren’t typical from what the Alabama defense is used to displaying, but according to coach Nick Saban and a couple of the Crimson Tide defenders, it had more to do with the game plan South Carolina employed during the 47-23 loss Saturday afternoon than anything else. The Gamecocks ran 86 offensive plays and finished with 459 yards. (VIEW ARTICLE)